2) Microsoft
We live in the age of the Internet, and that’s both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it’s great to be able to interact with, play with or compete against those who live close-by or on the other side of the world. However, on the other hand, nothing ever remains secret for long and leaks have kind of ruined the mystery that used to come with each E3 expo.
Microsoft ended up being the unlucky recipient of more than one leak this year, including rumours surrounding a newly redesigned controller and a new console that would be able to produce 4K gaming output. That, as well as speculation that a Slim Xbox One would be announced. Add those to rumours surrounding Forza Horizon 3 and Dead Rising 4 and you have a conference that was heavily spoiled before it even began.
Like the others, Microsoft also had long lines and generous wait times prior to its conference, but it handled both well. Everybody was treated professionally, seats were assigned based on paper tickets that told you which section to sit in, and the show went off without much in the way of hitches or issues.
[zergpaid]As more of a video game fan than a business person who covers the industry as a job, I was excited to find out what Microsoft had in store for the Xbox One, and came away excited. Their announced Xbox One S looks beautiful (and after using it to demo Forza Horizon 3, I can honestly say that it is), the Scorpio sounds amazing (although its potential price tag scares me) and there are quite a few games that I’m looking forward to.
Going into E3 2016, two series I wanted to see a return of were Forza Horizon and Dead Rising, as they’re both personal favourites that I can’t get enough of. Thankfully, Microsoft gleefully announced sequels to both franchises, in the form of Forza Horizon 3 and Dead Rising 4. Both ended up being highlights of this conference, and the Expo as a whole, and I was thankful to be able to go hands-on with them while at the Microsoft booth, where neither one disappointed me in any way, shape or form.
It was also nice to see We Happy Few shown with such prominence, because that’s an indie game that has looked great from the get-go. It deserves to be prominently advertised, so that it won’t be overlooked.
Microsoft did stumble, though, by making PC gamers question the need to buy an Xbox One, thanks to practically every game being playable on both Xbox One and Windows 10. That would have been a conscious decision, though, so I’m sure they analyzed all of the potential risks.
There were also some dud demos, including the Final Fantasy XV boss fight that never truly hit home, as well as a middling showing for Scalebound and a somewhat cringeworthy presentation for upcoming Minecraft content. Thankfully, those disappointments were overshadowed by impressive showings for other big games (such as Gears of War 4), as well as the badass announcement that customizable controllers are coming to the Xbox One.
Overall, the pros greatly outweighed the cons when it came to Microsoft’s showing, and since E3 is more about games than it is about concerts, Microsoft supplanted itself as the leader ahead of Bethesda. That all changed, though, once Sony’s conference began.